Persian Empire, Achaemenids, Artaxerxes III, Tetradrachm

This silver tetradrachm was struck in Memphis in Egypt and is a Persian imitation of the Athenian "owls." At the time of Artaxerxes III local coins depicting the owl and the head of the Greek goddess Athena were taken as a matter of course. In 343 BC Artaxerxes was busy bringing the insurgent Egyptians back under Persian control. This very rare coin was struck during that time.